The Wolves in the Walls

    (HarperCollins, 2003)
™ and ©2002 Dave McKean and Neail Gaiman

File this creepy tale somewhere between Gaiman and McKean’s earlier children’s book The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish and their more recent award-winning collaboration Coraline (although the second is largely Gaiman’s work, McKean provided fantastic illustrations). While Wolves is definitely in children’s book format, everything about this book makes it feel much bigger. That’s almost certainly due to the immense power of McKean’s art, which has only grown more vivid and visceral since his days doing Sandman covers.

In this tale, young Lucy is worried about the titular wolves. Her parents refuse to believe that she hears them, because, of course, if it were true, if the wolves came out of the walls, “then it’s all over,” as everyone tells her.

With this kind of build-up, even adults are going to be at the edges of their beds when Lucy’s fears come true. And when we finally do see the wolves, more than a few readers are going to jump, shout, and feel for the goosebumps on their necks. Unless your kids really like to be scared, don’t read this one before bedtime — at least not at first. Yes, it’s that scary. And, therefore, that good.

— Stephen C. George
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